As the sun dipped below the horizon, its fading light bathed the towering statue of Hashirama Senju in a warm glow. Once a symbol of Konoha's grandeur, the Senju clan grounds now stood silent and forlorn. The hustle and bustle of its glorious past had long faded, and only Senju Nawaki occasionally visited to tend to the place. Beyond his efforts, the area was abandoned. The once-vibrant grounds were now silent, with only the massive statue and a few well-kept areas to speak of its former splendor. The remaining family members, Tsunade and Nawaki, lived in a small part of the estate, while the other areas had long been left untouched. The overgrown training fields and decaying structures stood as monuments to a bygone era.
Yet, the training field, abandoned for years, had seen a resurgence.
A deafening boom echoed through the Senju clan grounds as Tsunade unleashed her incredible strength. With a single blow, her fist shattered a massive tree that would require several men to encircle. The trunk flew through the air, crashing into several other trees before it finally came to a halt. Her strength was nothing short of terrifying. A woman capable of such feats could stand at the peak of any ninja hierarchy.
Before her, Itoshiki Furukawa barely managed to dodge the attack, his breath coming in quick, heavy gasps. Tsunade had suggested a sparring session, and he had given it his all. However, despite his best efforts, the difference in their abilities was impossible to ignore. Every ninjutsu he threw at her was easily dodged. His taijutsu moves were effortlessly blocked, and no matter how hard he tried, his Lion King's Roar couldn't breach her defenses. The disparity between their raw power, speed, and chakra reserves was overwhelming.
"Little brat, what's with all this hesitation?" Tsunade teased, standing tall, her blonde hair glowing in the afterglow of the setting sun. She crossed her arms, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "You were all talk yesterday. Aren't you ready to get close and personal?"
Itoshiki exhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging in resignation. "Tsunade-sama... I've already given everything I have. Your strength… it's increased again, hasn't it?"
"Battles between ninjas don't have room for excuses," Tsunade replied, hands resting on her hips. Her golden locks shimmered in the evening light, and a sly smile tugged at her lips. "No more excuses. Get serious!"
With a swift motion, Tsunade drew a circle on the ground with her foot and stepped inside it. "To make it a little easier for you, I'll stay still. If you can push me out of this circle, you'll pass."
Itoshiki took a deep breath, focusing all the chakra he had left. His gaze locked on Tsunade, and despite the odds, he steeled himself. He knew even standing still, Tsunade was no easy target.
"Alright," he said, his voice steady. "I accept the challenge."
Tsunade's smile deepened, her arms crossing over her chest as she stood calmly in the center of the circle, her golden hair swaying gently in the evening breeze. "Come on, Itoshiki. Let's see what you've got."
Itoshiki's mind raced as he quickly formed hand seals. A powerful gust of wind spiraled from his hands, the Great Breakthrough of Wind Release. The wind howled, stirring up dirt and debris as a small tornado formed, rushing toward Tsunade.
Without budging an inch, Tsunade raised a hand, gathering all her strength into one mighty punch. The force of the strike shattered the tornado, sending debris flying in all directions.
"Is that all you've got?" Tsunade teased, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "You're the 'Mad Lion' of the battlefield, right?"
Itoshiki's eyes narrowed. The wind attack had been a feint, a distraction. He closed the distance between them in an instant, his body surging forward as he channeled chakra into his next move.
"Lion King's Roar!" he shouted, his chakra exploding outward with the force of an enraged lion's roar. His fist, now enveloped in spiraling chakra, flew toward Tsunade.
Tsunade's eyes flickered with a hint of appreciation. Without hesitation, she met his attack head-on, her posture steady, unwavering.
"Bang!"
The impact of their clash reverberated across the grounds, a shockwave of energy sending the nearby trees shaking.
The two fists collided in the air, releasing a shockwave that rippled through the air. Itoshiki Furukawa felt his arm nearly snap from the force, but he gritted his teeth and refused to yield.
"Not bad, but still not enough," Tsunade's voice rang out softly, her feet unwaveringly planted in the center of the circle.
Despite the overwhelming power of her strike, Itoshiki Furukawa was not disheartened. He knew this spar was a rare opportunity to learn from one of the best. He took a few steps back, readjusted his breathing, and began recalculating his next move.
"Tsunade-sama, may I ask something?" Itoshiki Furukawa inquired, his eyes never leaving her stance as he scanned for any openings.
"Go ahead," Tsunade replied, her gaze meeting his with an unreadable expression.
"My Lion King's Roar should have more penetrating power. So why did my chakra get overpowered instead?"
A small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of Tsunade's lips. There was a glimmer of respect in her eyes as she considered his question. "That's a good question," she said thoughtfully. "But you're missing something—burst."
"Burst?" Itoshiki Furukawa repeated, confusion furrowing his brow.
"Yes, burst." Tsunade nodded firmly. "Your strength and chakra reserves are still limited by your age. You can't increase them quickly, so you developed a method based on spiral usage. It's clever, but there's more to power than just that."
She paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing. "I'm different. My chakra reserves have always been among the best. I've focused more on learning to control every bit of that power, to make it release all at once, to make it explode in an instant."
Her casual words struck Itoshiki Furukawa like a bolt of lightning, and he felt something click in his mind. He had been focused so much on controlling chakra—on rotating and compressing it to break through defenses—that he had overlooked something fundamental: the need for raw, explosive power.
"Like this." Tsunade extended her fist, chakra swirling within her arm, but on the surface, her hand remained calm, the only indication of her power being the faint flicker of light-blue chakra.
With a fluid motion, Tsunade punched the ground. She didn't use any strength, but the moment her fist connected, her chakra erupted.
"Boom!"
The air cracked like thunder as an invisible shockwave shot outward from the point of impact. The ground before her fist buckled, forming a deep, circular crater.
"Did you feel that?" Tsunade asked, retracting her arm, her voice a mix of satisfaction and instruction. "Your techniques focus too much on sustained damage. For most ninjutsu or taijutsu, the constant pressure might do the job, but against strong enemies, being unable to release all your power in an instant—when it's needed most—will leave you vulnerable."
Itoshiki Furukawa's eyes widened as understanding began to dawn on him. "I see. I've been focused on precise chakra control, but I've ignored the importance of explosive power."
"Exactly," Tsunade affirmed. "Precise control is essential for efficient chakra use, but in real battles, sometimes you need that one decisive blow. If you keep wearing down your opponent with sustained attacks, you give them room to counter. You need to learn how to combine both."
Itoshiki Furukawa stood in silence, reflecting deeply on her words. He thought back to his battle with Hanzo of the Salamander. His lack of a powerful, decisive strike had been the difference between victory and defeat.
"I understand now, Tsunade-sama," Itoshiki Furukawa said solemnly, a newfound determination in his voice. "I need to strengthen my explosive power while maintaining precise control. I'll work on combining both to become more effective."
Tsunade's smile softened, a glimmer of pride in her eyes. "The Senju clan's archives contain secret techniques for bursts of power. I'll help you find them, and I'll share what I know from my own experience. But it's up to you to put in the work. Don't disappoint me."
The sun had fully set by now, casting an orange-red hue over the training field, the last vestiges of light fading into the night.
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